


Intimate

by evangelion



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Sleeping Together, Tickling, its just set on a college campus like theres nothing related to college happening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evangelion/pseuds/evangelion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bertholdt wouldn't admit it, but he was very affectionate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Bertholdt wouldn't admit it, but he was very affectionate.

  
He often allowed his shyness to take advantage of him, so he often came off as cold and distant. He truly loved attention, being hugged and kissed and cuddled and became flustered at the thought of nuzzling close to someone. He often felt isolated and lonely; he ached for another's warmth.

  
When Reiner and Bertholdt’s friendship became slightly more than platonic, Reiner tried to be accommodating of his withdrawn demeanor. He would often take Bertholdt’s hand for a few moments or put his arms around his waist when they hugged, which seemed to make him nervous in an endearing sort of way. Bertholdt would try to reciprocate the affection, but would only end up feeling extremely embarrassed. He was rarely the one to initiate intimacy; he was far too scared of being pushed away or overstepping his boundaries. He wanted to get Reiner’s attention; it was just hard for him, even if they had been close since childhood.

  
Reiner recognized his crush on Bertholdt months beforehand, but didn't want to damage their friendship without weighing every possible outcome of his actions. He wanted to ensure that Bertholdt would reciprocate, or at least tolerate his attempts at flirting.

They had a movie night every other Saturday that had been going on for several weeks. They would meet at one of their respective dorms and watch movies until they fell asleep, Bertholdt usually sleeping in his mass of long, lanky limbs on the couch while Reiner spooned a bowl of popcorn on the floor. This week, their movie night was at Reiner's dorm.  
On this night, the movie Reiner had picked turned out to be especially boring. Bertholdt seemed to be fine with it, taking a comfortable position crouched on the sofa with his chin resting atop his knees. Reiner couldn't fake being interested for very long; maybe, he thought, he could draw his friend's attention away from the movie and to himself. Shouldn't be too hard, he decided.

"Can I get you anything?" Reiner inquired; noticing Bertholdt had finished the popcorn only 20 minutes in. He figured waiting on this boy could get him somewhere.

"No thanks," Bertholdt rumbled in reply, his deep voice was smooth and quiet, eyes leaving the screen to glance at his amber eyes as he spoke.

"You sure? Can I get you a blanket or some water or a pillow? You look cold," taking note of the bundled up way he was sitting.

"Well, um, if it's not too much trouble, a blanket would be nice" he mumbled with a timid smile. No sooner had the words left his mouth, Reiner had already jumped off the couch with a quick "I got it", walking to get several blankets and pillows from the cupboard. The tall boy glanced in his direction, eyes wide as he watched blankets engulf Reiner’s body in a mass of soft fabric before he returned to the couch.

When his friend shot him a confused look, Reiner smiled proudly and offhandedly said "Hey, let's build a blanket fort,", to which Bertholdt grinned in response.

  
They had no plan when it came to laying out this fort. They tried to incorporate chairs and tables into the design, but nothing was big enough for the two men. They decided on a pillow and blanket nest instead. Gathering every pillow, cushion, sheet, and quilt in the dorm, together they laid out a massive, circular pile of softness big enough for the two of them to lie on. Pillows ringed the outline of it, making it appear to have low walls. The floor of the nest was thickly cushioned with several layers of fleece blankets, making it somewhat like a mattress.

Bertholdt lied down first, lying on his back and trying to make himself small so that his bigger friend would have enough room to join him. Reiner crawled next to him onto his side, head supported by one of the pillow walls. An idea came to Reiner’s head as he started to doze off, an idea that may or may not work. He had the fantastic idea of yawning and stretching as a disguise to wrap an arm around Bertholdt, but modify it to fit his current position. He pretended to fall asleep.

  
As the end of the movie drew closer, Reiner decided to take his chance and rolled towards his friend so that his body lightly brushed against Bertholdt’s. He felt the taller boy tense at the touch, but not jerk or move away. He yawned and stretched a bit so his arm draped over his friend's tummy.

  
"Reiner?" Bertholdt's voice was small and nervous.

"I’m cold" Reiner murmured in response. The sleepy act wasn't entirely fake, he wouldn't have done this if he was wide awake and thinking clearly. He formed a grip on the tall boy, cuddling into his chest and curling his arm protectively around him.

"Do you need a blanket?" Bertholdt questioned as he started to sit up; but Reiner tightened and pulled him back down.

"You’re warm enough," he smiled a bit, his voice a sleepy growl. Bertholdt didn't have any further questions, so he let him stay. The movie ended and the credits started to roll as the dark-haired boy let out a sizable yawn, causing his entire body to contort and stretch as he rolled onto his side, turning away from Reiner and unintentionally rolling out of his grip.

"Big mistake," Reiner mused internally as he scooted towards him, slipping an arm under his waist and putting his hand to the boy's abdomen. His stomach met the small of Bertholdt' back and their legs tangled together. Reiner pressed his face into the back of his neck, taking note of his clean-smelling dark hair.

Reiner didn't want to fall asleep, though his eyes threatened to let him down. He wanted to stay awake, safely pressed against this big boy whom he had a big crush on. He wasn't surprised that Bertholdt hadn't protested, he was one to stay quiet and let whatever happened to him happen.

  
"Is this okay?" Reiner’s words were slurred a bit from drowsiness; he loosened his grip in case Bertholdt wanted to make his escape.

"Yes, of course" he sounded confident in his answer, a tone Bertholdt rarely used. Reiner couldn't stop himself from grinning into his friend's nape, holding him a bit tighter as he tried to stifle his chuckling. Though he wasn't terrified of being rejected, it wasn't something he wanted to experience; especially with Bertholdt, who he cared about more than anyone. Still smiling, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

-

Reiner woke up first, eyes still adjusting to the now-dark dorm. His eyelids were still heavy and adjusting to the darkness, but he could make out a bright red 1:48 on the clock under his TV. They had slept for quite a few hours. Rain loudly tapped on the windows, giving him an excuse to keep Bertholdt for the night. That reminded him: Bertholdt was here.

Reiner found that he'd rolled onto his back, and Bertholdt was no longer lying next to him, but lying on top of him: head resting lightly on his lower chest, an arm wrapped lazily around his waist, and his legs were sprawled out in various directions.  
Even with his questionable sleeping positions, he always looked peaceful when he rested. When awake, his face was constantly painted with worry, and it was a nice change to see him rather tranquil.

In his groggy stage, he was overcome with the desire to pet Bertholdt’s head. So he did.

His hair was thick and short and soft and it felt like he was petting a big kitten. Reiner lie there for a few moments; running his fingers through his silky locks. Bertholdt stirred slightly to burrow his face more into the bigger boy's chest, but didn't wake. Reiner didn't want to move from this spot and wouldn't have minded if he could've spent hours there, simply admiring this peaceful, gentle boy who innocently lied on him. Normally, he wasn't usually this delicate with others, but Bertholdt brought out a different side of him. He barely noticed that they were no longer lying in the fort, but on the ground with a single blanket curled under them.

  
The pillow fort had become almost completely dismantled when the boys shifted in their sleep, scarcely leaving anything soft to lie on but the carpet. Reiner decided to move to his bed and bring Bertholdt too. After all, it was big enough for the two of them.

  
Reiner reluctantly sat up, hoping the movement would wake his friend. However, Bertholdt seemed completely unaffected, his face still neutral and his body still limp. Reiner sighed as he started to prod at his friend’s arm.

"Bertholdt, Bertholdt wake up," he said, shaking him gently.

Bertholdt's eyes tightened, his nose twitched before he let out a forceful yawn that made him stretch widely. His eyes opened a bit, sleep still weighing them down.

"It’s raining and it's almost 2am, you should probably spend the night here,"

"Is that okay with you?" Bertholdt managed quietly.

"Of course" Reiner said, smiling. "Do you want to move to my bed or would you rather sleep on the floor all night?" It was a not-so-subtle invitation to snuggle somewhere more comfortable. Bertholdt blinked and whispered a sleepy, "Let's go," as he rubbed his eyes.

Reiner wanted to wake up like this every day. He wanted to see Bertholdt tired and with bedhead and heavy eyes. He wanted to plant kisses all over his face, arms, hands, neck; anywhere he could, as long as his friend would welcome them.

  
Bertholdt sat up next to him, still rubbing his eyes. Reiner rose to his feet and took his hand, smiling slyly as he led him into his bedroom, releasing his hand at the doorway so he could pull back the comforter and sheets as his friend stood on the threshold with droopy eyes and his head lolling to the side lethargically. Reiner realized they were both still in their jeans.

"I sleep in my boxers, if that makes you uncomfortable I can put on sweatpants or something," Reiner awkwardly mentioned as he blindly adjusted the pillows in the darkness and started to pull down his jeans.

"Me too, it's fine," Bertholdt replied as he did the same and waddled towards the bed; he was too tired to feel embarrassed.

  
They both huddled into the cold bed, Reiner once again rolling himself beside Bertholdt, laying a hand softly on waist. Once more, he tensed but didn't protest. Reiner cuddled up closer and pressed his nose against Bertholdt's shoulder. Bertholdt gradually relaxed, but his breathing indicated he was still awake.

  
"Could you do that thing again," Bertholdt mumbled, so quietly that Reiner wasn't sure he was supposed to hear it.

"What thing?" he mumbled back.

"You pet my hair, and it felt nice" Bertholdt said shyly.

"I thought you were asleep" Reiner responded with a sheepish laugh.

Reiner didn't wait for any further input as he moved his hand from Bertholdt’s waist to his head, continuing his actions from before.

The tall boy sighed gently in response to the pleasant touches, tilting his head into his carressing hand. Fingers traced paths through his hair and scratched softly behind his ear, eliciting a mute groan. Reiner put his nose to the back of Bertholdt's neck and silently took in his scent; the sweet, the clean scent was still present in his hair.

Bertholdt rolled over to face him, their lips separated by only a few inches. Reiner felt his cheeks grow hot and wondered if his nervousness was obvious. He continued stroking his head, and Bertholdt slowly closed his eyes. Dozing, his pace slowed slowed to halt with a hand resting softly on his friend's cheek.

  
Bertholdt looked on at his friend through his nearly-shut eyes. Reiner's lips were parted a bit, letting out the tiniest puffs of breath. His hair was messy and strewn out in every direction which Bertholdt found endearing.

He knew he had a crush on him for several months, but had been too scared to confess. Whenever he would hug him, invite him over, brush against him, Bertholdt felt his whole body clench, Reiner unintentionally made him incredibly nervous. He acted outwardly passive towards his affection in the case he was playing with him and would be uncomfortable with him reciprocating whole-heartedly.

Bertholdt really wanted to kiss Reiner.

Would he be mad? Would he notice? Was he even asleep? The sleeping boy's breathing was shallow and level, his face relaxed and peaceful. To test the waters, Bertholdt let out a near silent "psst" sound, loud enough for Reiner to notice it if he was awake, but not loud enough to wake him if he was asleep. He didn't stir at all, so he figured it was as safe as it was going to get.

  
Moving forward slowly, Bertholdt gradually brought his face closer to the Reiner's. The limp hand on Bertholdt's face dragged behind his head as he lurched forward. Shaking hands rose to press against Reiner’s chest, weakly gripping the fabric of his shirt.

  
Slowly, Bertholdt pressed a chaste kiss to Reiner’s cheek; he was nowhere near bold enough to go for his lips. The fear of him waking up prevented him from lingering, but his skin was soft and warm and tempted him to stay. He pulled away unceremoniously, feeling quite embarrassed. He quickly buried his reddening face into his friend's chest, the warmth of the bigger boy comforting him. Bertholdt wrapped his arms around him, pulling himself in as close as possible. Even after replaying it in his head a few times, he couldn't believe he worked up the nerve to kiss Reiner, no matter how tame it was.

In the midst of his thoughts, Bertholdt felt strong arms wrap tightly around him, accompanied by a gentle sigh. Reiner's chin now rested atop Bertholdt’s head lovingly and a leg was thrown possessively over his hips. He was contently ensnared as he fell asleep in Reiner's embrace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to stop at after the 2nd chapter but -_-;;;;;;;;;;;;;
> 
> this is literally fluff without plot *laughing evily while crying*

Soft light filled the bedroom when Bertholdt awoke. He was lying face down in fetal position, arms and legs curled tightly against his chest. As he realized Reiner wasn't in the bed with him, the smell of bacon and pancakes met his nose, informing him that he was making breakfast.

-

Reiner had woken up an hour prior to Bertholdt and had taken it upon himself to prepare breakfast for his “date” after finding he had gravitated out of his arms and into one of his characteristically weird sleeping positions. He was lying face-first on the bed with his legs tightly pressed against his stomach.

  
"Bertl" Reiner whispered, placing a hand on the sleeping boy, giving him a little shake.

"Mmph"

"I'm going to make us breakfast, alright?"

"Mmhm" the sleepy boy grunted. The awake boy smiled and patted his back before he draped a blanket over him, making it so his head could poke out. Bertholdt scooted forward a bit so his head could rest on the pillows. Reiner sat up and closed the blinds so his friend could sleep a little longer and retreated into the kitchen.

-

Just as the bacon was cooling off and the pancakes were almost finished, Reiner could make out heavy footsteps coming from the hall. He turned and was greeted with the pleasant sight of a sleepy Bertholdt, who smiled humbly when their eyes met.

  
Clad in his usual sweater with boxers and bedhead, he looked truly adorable. His eyes were slit with grogginess as he scratched the back of his neck idly and wobbled towards the shorter boy.

"Morning, Bertl," Reiner said charmingly, fighting off the urge to smile as wide as he could. He was already feeling flustered having such an attractive guy in his dorm, namely the boy he had a huge crush on. He didn't need to see the boy sleepy and in his underwear to add to his frustration

"Good morning," he rumbled in response, looking up to smile in Reiner’s direction, eyes still too heavy to open completely. He stood behind Reiner and glancing over his shoulder. Bacon sat on a plate on the counter and a few pancakes sizzled in the pan he was holding.

"Looks delicious" Bertholdt praised. "I didn't know you could cook,"

Reiner nodded his thanks, and his Bertholdt watched intently as he finished cooking. Once he moved the pancakes from the pan to the plate, he turned to embrace the taller boy. Bertholdt was taken by surprise, but quickly returned the hug.

"Any reason you've been acting so affectionate?" Bertholdt said meekly.

Reiner released him from the hug and held him at arm’s length. Giving a blink and a smile, he went to serve breakfast, not answering the question.

  
They exchanged a few words over the meal, maintaining small talk and kept things casual despite the closeness they shared last night. The blond was still in his boxers too and still looked fairly tired himself.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Bertholdt chirped after sipping the last of his coffee.

“No problem,” Reiner replied as he put their dishes in the sink. Both of them were quite comfortable around each other; it felt like a natural thing, something they could both get used to.

“You should let me help next time; I can’t make you do all the work,” Bertholdt mumbled thoughtfully, “If there is a next time,” he added quickly before clearing his throat.

“I like taking care of you though, no need to worry,” Reiner murmured with a grin. “I wouldn’t mind doing this more, Bertl,”

“I wouldn't mind eating more of your food,” the taller boy teased as he stood out of his chair and yawned, stretching as wide as he could. As his sweater rode up, Reiner caught a glimpse of his lightly defined abs and a line of hair that led into his boxers. Reiner turned away quickly when the boy stopped stretching so he could hide the sudden heat growing in his cheeks. He often forgot his friend had a respectable amount of muscles under the thick sweaters he always wore.

“Do I need to leave soon?” Bertholdt asked. He didn't want to outstay his welcome and figured he should go before his presence got uncomfortable, which he felt it normally did.  
“My roommate’s out for the weekend and I don’t have any plans, so I might just keep you to myself for today,” Reiner simpered as he walked over to Bertholdt. “Unless you already have plans,”

He responded with a shake of his head. “I just don’t want to impose and lie around your dorm all day when you could be doing other stuff,”

“Then we can go out and see a movie or gets lunch later if you feel guilty hanging out here,” Reiner said matter-of-factly.

“That sounds like a date,” It came out sounding flatter than he intended, “Not that I mind,” he added a little too quickly, instantly regretting his words.  
The blond simply laughed. “I guess it does”

-

Reiner announced he was going to take a shower as he approached the bathroom. “You might wanna get a change of clothes from your dorm, you can borrow one of my jackets if you need to,” he said after closing the door.

Bertholdt hesitantly went to the bedroom to put his jeans back on and managed to choose the biggest hoodie out of Reiner’s closet. He slipped it on over his sweater, knowing he would need the extra layers in the mid-November cold. As he left the dorm, he unconsciously brought one of the sleeves to his nose. It smelled strongly of his friend: a musky and comforting scent. It was ridiculously baggy on the tall boy, probably even loose on Reiner. As he reached the end of the hall and the frigid air blew against him, he brought the hood over his head and stuffed his hands in the front pocket. He had a long walk across campus.

Once he finally reached his dorm after a cold trek through the wind, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and pulled the garment back on. He wouldn't have minded keeping it, it was soft and comfortable and it felt like he was being hugged by Reiner when he wore it. He remembered that stealing his best friend’s hoodie would be weird and stumbled out the door, plagued with embarrassment over his thoughts.

-

Bertholdt returned to Reiner’s dorm to find him lying on the couch, arms bent over his head, and eyes staring unfocused at the TV. He averted his gaze to the tall boy and smirked at the sight of him being dwarfed by his clothes, despite his height.

“I found a movie we could go see,” Reiner started, returning his eyes to the screen. “It starts in 2 hours,” He sat upright on the couch and motioned for Bertholdt to come to him.  
When he came over, Reiner wrapped his arms around his friend's hips and pulled him onto the couch. The blond sat down on Bertholdt's thighs, pinning him to the couch.

Reiner hovered ominously before moving his hands to the dark haired boy’s stomach. Bertholdt looked up in confusion, not sure of what was going on, but not sure if he wanted to push him off. Giving a sly smile, Reiner started to tickle his friend, hands creeping under his clothes and scurried over the olive skin of his belly.

Bertholdt reacted immediately with a violent fit of laughter, squirming and trying desperately to swat away the hands that pushed up the fabric of his sweaters, revealing more of his skin.

“R-Reiner, no! Stop..!” he managed to choke out through laughs as he tried to escape, but he was held down securely by Reiner’s thighs.

“What? Say that again? I couldn't understand you,” His hands prodded quickly at his sides and danced over his slightly protruding ribs. He continued until the boy’s face was stained red, a mix of grunts and giggles leaving his lips. Reiner’s hands stayed on his exposed skin as he caught his breath from laughing. Reiner scooted back so he could bend forward and bring his lips just below Bertholdt's belly button and blew a raspberry, moving his hands further under his shirt and to his lower back to hold him in place. He looked up to see his friend who was still recovering from laughter.

“You’re so cute, Bertl,” he murmured, placing his cheek to Bertholdt's tummy lovingly. The rise and fall of his steadying breaths paired with the warmth of his skin was endearing.  
“Dummy,” Bertholdt mumbled, not bothering to fight him off when kisses were feathered up and down his belly. He hadn't even put up a fight when he was tickled; truthfully, he loved the attention from Reiner. He glanced back down to see the larger boy looking up at him, nose buried still in olive skin and smiled when the Bertholdt met his gaze. Reiner lifted his head up and pulled his friend’s clothes back down and returned to where he lied before, eyes nonchalantly wandering back to the TV.

Missing Reiner’s touch already, he crawled forward and rested his head on the blond’s chest before curling his body up to wrap comfortably around him. Reiner didn't seem to mind, since his hand immediately found its way onto Bertholdt’s back, scratching lightly and tracing circles in his hoodie. Lying here pressed to Reiner was soothing, and he began to feel drowsy. The both of them silently agreed a nap before the movie wasn’t such a bad idea, so they fell asleep once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was gonna end this at the breakfast part but when ur heart tells u "tickle war" u gotta write a god damn tickle war just dont even look back no regrets man no shame *writes ooc warrior boys for my own sick enjoyment*


	3. Chapter 3

They slept a little late, but still managed to make it to the movie on time with a few minutes to spare. Bertholdt had to practically drag Reiner out of the dorm, but he visibly perked up a bit when Bertholdt took his hand and dragged him to the car.

The horror movie didn’t faze Bertholdt in the slightest, but Reiner spent much of the movie clutching his friend’s arm and hiding his face. Bertholdt fought to stifle his laughter whenever the larger boy would jump and groan into his hands in fear.

“Don’t mention this to anyone,” Reiner laughed nervously, rising out of his seat when the movie was over.

“No worries,” the taller boy giggled. Reiner didn’t seem too serious, but this secret was safe with him.

-

Arriving back on campus, Reiner laced his fingers with Bertholdt’s as they walked back to his dorm.

“People are going to think we’re dating,” Bertholdt mumbled, looking down at his feet. He was still wearing Reiner’s oversized hoodie and the entire weekend had technically been a date. Not that he minded.

“Does that bother you?” Reiner tightened his grip, leaning on his friend’s shoulder with a smile. Bertholdt only smirked and shook his head, resting his head on the blond’s.

Walking back in the dorm, Reiner looked up at his taller friend and placed a brief kiss to his cheek. Bertholdt stared back in mild surprise, making an effort not to flinch at his touch. Reiner pulled away, blinking amiably, praying that he wasn’t being inappropriate despite everything they had done. Bertholdt could see uncertaintly creeping up on his friend's face, so he smiled to lighten the mood. Reiner smiled back, relief visibly washing over him.

“What was that for?” Bertholdt said, still smiling but breaking eye contact to look at the floor.

“For last night,” Reiner snickered as he turned away to walked into the kitchen.

Bertholdt could feel the color drain from his face and any remnants of a smile faded. “What did you say?” he forced, trying not to let the fear show in his voice and failing.  _Is he talking about that kiss?_

“I’m sorry that I pretended to be asleep,” The blond said as he got a glass from the cabinet and walked to the sink. Reiner turned to look at his friend and could see anxiety plain on his face.

“Bertl, oh my god, it’s fine. I’m not mad,” Bertholdt was still frozen by the door. Reiner put down his glass and made his way back to his friend.

“I’m sorry,” was all Bertholdt could manage.

“Was kissing me on the cheek really that scandalous for you?” Reiner started, “we were already cuddling in my bed in our underwear,”

Bertholdt visibly relaxed a bit, but his face still looked worried.

“I thought you’d be upset because of why I did it, though,” Bertholdt met Reiner’s eyes briefly before looking back at the floor, he instantly regretted his words.

“Is my flirting really that bad?” Reiner laughed, stepping a bit closer.

“What?” Bertholdt’s eyes were wide with confusion when he finally looked up.

“It’s just that I’ve been flirting with you for a long time and now you think I’m mad at you for reciprocating,”

“I thought you were joking,” he grimaced, “since you know I’m shy and wouldn’t react,”

“Do you think I’m a jerk that flirts with people for fun?” Reiner kept his tone sincere, trying not to ridicule his friend’s feelings and make him feel worse than he already did.

“No! No, I don’t think you’re a jerk at all, it’s just-,”

Reiner cut him off before he could finish, “So you think people are only nice to you because they feel sorry for you,” he said flatly. Bertholdt’s expression turned morose, but he didn’t speak.

“Do you think badly of yourself?” he continued.

Bertholdt opened his mouth to say something, but quickly pursed his lips and nodded, not trusting his voice to stay steady. Reiner wrapped his arms around the boy and rubbed his back harshly, simply holding him there for a minute in attempt to comfort his friend.

“You’re really important to me, Bertl. I wish you’d tell me about these things instead of keeping quiet,”

“Sorry,” Bertholdt felt guilt creep into his throat. He felt exposed, he really wished he’d just kept his mouth shut and played it off like it was no big deal like he usually did.

“I didn’t mean to pry, it's just I care about you, you know? I don't want you to hide things that are hurting you,” Reiner separated from the hug, but kept a loose grip on the tall boy’s wrists.

“It’s not a big deal, no need to worry,” Bertholdt lied.

“I respect that you might not want to talk about it, but please don’t act like you’re alright if you’re not,” Reiner bumped his forehead into Bertholdt’s shoulder. “I really just want to look after you,”

“You’ve done a good job,” Bertholdt didn’t lie this time; Reiner didn’t have a lot to work with since Bertholdt wasn’t open with feelings, but had been a good friend nonetheless.

“Can I keep you for the rest of the day? I could make you some hot chocolate,"

Bertholdt beamed and nodded, not even flinching when Reiner lunged forward and pulled him into another hug before he led him into the kitchen. Reiner put his forgotten glass in the cabinet, exchanging it for 2 mugs as the other boy sat down at the kitchen table, twiddling his thumbs nervously. He repeated the things Reiner had said to him mentally, trying to think of what he should talk about.

Interrupting his thoughts, Reiner placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of him before taking his seat across from Bertholdt. They spoke idly for a while before a comfortable silence fell between them.

“I really like you, Reiner,” Bertholdt blurted, forcing his voice steady. His main priority was getting this off his chest, not his friend’s reaction.

The other boy's eyes widened and he put down his mug. He forced his drink down and cleared his throat, managing a forced, “huh?” as he tried to process what Bertholdt had said and the events prior.

“Please don’t make me say it again,” he buried his face in his hands, trying to hide his reddening face.  Reiner reached across the table and pulled his hands away, despite Berholdt’s protests. Reiner simply studied his face for a moment before speaking.

“Say it again,” even though he heard him clearly. He gripped Bertholdt’s hand tighter and fought to prevent himself from smiling, but failed.

“No, no no no. Never mind!” Bertholdt was desperately trying to duck away and hide his face, but Reiner could plainly see his smile despite his efforts to conceal it. Reiner left his chair and knelt next to Bertholdt, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.

“Don’t make me force it out of you,” he said as he tried to muffle his laughter in Bertholdt’s arm, whose hands were still plastered to his face. Reiner dragged him out of his chair and onto the floor, quickly changing his position so he would fall into his lap.

Bertholdt was outright laughing now, pushing Reiner away and rushing across the floor on his hands and knees into the living room with the blond stumbling close behind. When he crawled to the remnants of the pillow fort, a strong hand clenched around his ankle, stopping him immediately. Bertholdt dropped to his belly before Reiner flipped him onto his back, taking his place back on his thighs and hands on his tummy.

“This is your last chance,” Reiner choked out, laughs preventing him from catching his breath.

“Oh no no no, no not again!” Bertholdt thrashed between his thighs. He was dizzy from laughing so much, too exhausted to fight him off.

Reiner continued without mercy, hands deftly tracing up and down his sides. Bertholdt was squeaking, grabbing at his hands and missing.

“Say it a-again!” Reiner said as he slid his hands up his shirt and tickled his exposed skin.

“I-I said, I rea-lly, like you!” Bertholdt managed as coherently as he could, despite the hands forcing laughter from his lungs.

Reiner stopped tickling to look at Bertholdt for a few moments, allowing both of them to catch their breath and get the remaining laughter out. The larger boy moved his hands from under his shirt to the floor on either side of Bertholdt’s head before leaning into him, brushing their noses together.

Bertholdt’s breath hitched before Reiner pushed their lips together and moved a hand to cup his face. The taller boy instantly returned the kiss before he brought his hands to Reiner's back, gripping the fabric of his shirt. There was a fervent desperation from both sides of the kiss; a feeling of fulfillment for all the months they had spent wanting each other.

Bertholdt took note of how forceful but soft Reiner's mouth was on his and instinctively nipped at his bottom lip before sucking on the top. In swift movement, Bertholdt flipped Reiner onto his back and straddled him. Reiner was practically purring by the time lithe fingers were tugging at his blond hair. He slowly pushed his tongue forward, prodding gently against Bertholdt’s.

Breaking the kiss and inducing a needy groan from Reiner, Bertholdt moved to press his tongue gently against the junction between his ear and jaw, pecking at the soft flesh as he made his way down to his throat. He peppered light kisses up and down his neck that elicited soft rasps from the paler boy.

Reiner cursed under his breath and clutched dark hair in his fists when he felt him suck at the base of his neck. Bertholdt took this as encouragement and sucked harder until he was satisfied with the red mark on his neck.

Bertholdt crawled off of Reiner to lie on his back beside him. Looking over, he saw Reiner’s eyes were closed and he hadn’t caught his breath yet. Bertholdt found himself smiling a bit, scooting closer and taking his hand. Reiner opened his eyes and gazed at Bertholdt lazily, flashing a content smile.

“I like you too,” was the only thing Reiner could think to say. A soft laugh came from the taller boy in response as he gripped his hand tighter.

They simply lied there in pleasant silence for a while, occasionally glancing over to each other and giggling when they made eye contact. Reiner turned onto his side so his lips could meet Berholdt's cheek and continued to shower him with more kisses. Bertholdt's smile only made him want to lavish him in as much affection as he possibly could.

“We should do this more,” Reiner hummed against his cheek.

“Only if you’ll be my boyfriend,” Bertholdt said with his newfound confidence. He didn't feel nervous, and it felt great.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Reiner gleamed and wrapped his arms and legs completely around Bertholdt, trapping him in a bear hug, kissing his face all over. Bertholdt pulled him closer and smiled widely, never wanting to move from this spot. As the kisses slowed, he pressed a final kiss to his lips an burrowed his head in the crook of Bertholdt's neck.

“Now you’re mine,” Reiner smiled against his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING I HOPE YOU LIKED IT !!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> IM SORRY,


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